Although it has been going on for quite some time, the world has been recently exposed to the plight of Uighur Muslims in China. As a minority, Uighurs have long been persecuted in the country, confined in concentration camps, killed, and subjected to even worse human rights abuses that are only now seeing the light of day.
The global response has been mostly swift and condemnatory, with global powers uniformly decrying the treatment of the Uighur population and putting to test China’s long-developed web of influence.
But not so for some seemingly natural allies to the persecuted. Despite the religious ties between Uighurs and Gulf Muslim populations, countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have remained silent. They have even gone as far as to endorse China’s policies. This paradoxical response highlights the real power and the frightening aspect of China’s long-developed economic influence. As the Uighurs continue to suffer, the Gulf’s relative silence is baffling.
On the other side, there are deep schisms in Gulf relations that tend to be amplified when dealing with international policy — witness the embargo of Qatar led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. But the recent outcry over China’s treatment of the Turkic Uighurs has seemingly found the Gulf united under a single banner — China’s.
In July, following a letter from a bloc of mostly European nations condemning the “re-education” camps into which Uyghurs are being forced, a letter of support for China was sent in response. It included signatures from 37 nations, including Syria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait.
China remains one of the most important markets for oil and gas in the world, and the Asian powerhouse has invested heavily in its relationship with the Gulf. More than just energy trade, China also counts on the Gulf to help alleviate its oversupply of steel and concrete.
China has long predicated a policy of building “soft” power to further its goals, preferring economic carrots to sticks when dealing with peers. However, growing awareness of the country’s notoriously poor track record on human rights has forced countries to take a harder stance on China. The Chinese government has reacted by adopting a “with-us-or-against-us mentality” and to apply economic leverage where possible to quell opposition on the world stage.
From this perspective, the silence from the Gulf on the Uighurs’ plight is easier to comprehend. But it no easier to accept. In June, Sam Brownback, the U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, denounced the silence from the region and speculated that these nations were keen on avoiding attention to their own human rights records.
But some countries have gone further than mere tacit approval of China’s actions. The letter sent to the UN actually included praise for China over the country’s “providing care to its Muslim Citizens.” In response to questions about Uighur re-education camps, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman went so far as to defend China’s right to “take anti-terrorism and de-extremism measures to safeguard national security.”
Only Qatar has broken with its regional neighbors, and even then just barely so. It eventually rescinded its support for the UN letter after it had been made public, expressing a desire to “maintain a neutral stance.” Although the country did not specify the real reason behind its withdrawal, it did so around the same time some of its citizens were fighting to prevent the extradition of an Uyghur activist back to China. This sudden, if mild, change of heart could also have been inspired by anger over China’s earlier public statement of concerns about Qatar’s ties to known Islamist and extremist groups, which has soured the relationship on both sides. Qatar’s un-endorsement of the letter accomplishes little, but at least it opens a path for more nations quietly to unlink their wagons from China’s.
The silence over the Uyghurs’ plight highlights a shocking trend for the Gulf when it comes to defending their Muslim brethren across the world. Earlier in 2019, the bloc largely reacted with apathy after India moved to remove Kashmir’s special status, potentially endangering the lives of thousands of Muslims. Despite Pakistan’s pleas for support and political clout, the Gulf sided with India — one of the region’s major trade partners — over its religious ally in a clear statement of priorities.
The sad conclusion is that, when it comes to defending Muslims around the world, even the Gulf’s words are in short supply, and they are more generous than its actions.
Nadia Hussain is a researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
